


The Low Becomes High

by psychoroach



Category: Bones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Light Angst, Mentions of Cancer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-30 16:46:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14501289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychoroach/pseuds/psychoroach
Summary: This is a coda to the episode The High in the Low. Wendell Bray is one of my favorite characters from Bones and my heart absolutely broke for him this episode. I know it ended well, but I wanted to expand on it and blurt out some of my feels about it.





	The Low Becomes High

**Author's Note:**

> Read, review, kudos.

Wendell got up from the couch a little slowly when he heard the knock on the door. "Yo." He called out. "I'm coming, give me a second." He didn't want whoever was on the other side of the door to think he wasn't coming, or he wasn't at home. He opened the door and was a little shocked to see Booth and Dr. Brennan there, Booth smiling at him, Dr. Brennan with her usual polite look. "Heeey guys, what's up? What are you doing here?" He stepped back and let them in, shutting the door behind them. He followed them over to the couch as Dr. Brennan turned and looked at him with a serious look, that made him stop short for a second.

"I wanted to talk to you about your job at the Jeffersonian." She explained.

He laughed wryly, quietly. "You don't have to do that, Dr. Saroyan talked to me all about it. No offense, Dr. B, but I can't just...stop with my medicinal marijuana. Ever since I got this cancer, I've..."

"No hear me out." She cut him off, putting a hand on his arm. "I understand, really. Chemotherapy and radiation really wreaks havoc for a person's body, and it gives you symptoms like lack of appetite, hair loss, finding things taste metallic, nausea..." 

"Things taste metallic?" Booth asked, making a face. 

"Yeah, dude, it's awful." Wendell looked over at him. "I have drawers full of plastic cutlery because if I use any regular cutlery with my food, I can't eat it. All I taste is the metal and it makes me sick. It's a crapshoot anyway what I can and can't eat right now, so I don't need anything else against me, you know?"

"Wow, that...that sucks." He looked at him with a sympathetic look. 

"Back on track." Dr. Brennan said, making Wendell look back at her. "I understand that your body needs every advantage it can get when fighting the cancer, so I understand your need for using medical marijuana." 

"Yeah, well, no offense, Dr. B." Wendell said, trying not to sound too bitter. "But where does that get me? I can't work in a government funded job and still use." 

"Well no, you can't." Dr. Brennan said bluntly, and a part of Wendell would always appreciate her candor. Not that it did him a fat lot of good in this situation. "But you can be hired as an independent case consultant." She took out a file from a bag she had hanging off her shoulder and handed it to him.

Wendell looked at her wide eyed, sputtering inarticulately a few times. "What? I mean...what...what...does..." 

"Caroline got you hired." Booth piped up, seeing that Dr. Brennan was becoming uncomfortable. He leaned over and led Wendell to sit on the couch, facing him. "It's not the same as the position you had, you wouldn't be working in the Jeffersonian, you wouldn't be working with the bodies or the bones..."

"Not in person anyway." Dr. Brennan got her bearings back. "You won't be allowed any physical contact with the evidence. However, you will be able to look over case findings before we close any cases, or if we get stuck on a case. You'll be given hi-res pictures of evidence courtesy of Angela, the same ones we use to give Caroline when we're building a case against someone, and any written or typed notes we take, which as you know we take a lot." She flashed him her equivalent of a kind smile.

"I don't know what to say." Wendell wiped a hand over his face, clearly overwhelmed. "I really don't. I mean...wow...this is far more than I ever thought I'd be able to do. I was gearing up to..." 

"Will you do it then?" Dr. Brennan asked, and Booth knew she only cut him off because she valued him as one of her 'squints' and knew his input on the cases, even if it was in this capacity, would be very invaluable.

"Of course!" Wendell said immediately. He practically beamed at her. "Yes, of course I will, I'd be crazy to turn down this offer." 

"You bet your ass you would, turns out this position, Caroline did a little leg work and some coercing, it pays three times what your job as a squint did." Booth piped up, grinning.

Wendell whirled around to face him again, holding a hand to his chest. "What?!" He exclaimed, his eyes bugging out of his head. "Three...three time...huh? I mean..." 

"Yes, actually, here is the contract you need to sign." Dr. Brennan took out a stack of papers and Wendell took them with shaky hands. He looked them over speculatively and when he saw the exact figure he'd be making, monthly no less, he was sure his heart stopped for a second and he was absolutely sure he stopped breathing as well.

"Breathe, Bray." Booth laughed, clapping him on the back.

Wendell let out a gasping breath and blinked back the overwhelmed tears from his eyes. "Anyone got a pen?" 

Booth whipped one out from his jacket and held it out. Wendell took it, momentarily distracted by the fact that it had a dancing hula girl in it. He tipped it curiously and his eyes widened when he coconut shell top floated off. He quickly righted it again, not wanting to get distracted, and signed everywhere there was a tab. He looked it over again, still completely gobsmacked by the figure he'd be making as a salary, and handed it back to Dr. Brennan.

"Caroline will show you your office. It's now in the J. Edgar Hoover building, a few floors away from Booth's." She explained.

"What about my chemo treatments?" Wendell asked.

"That's all been worked out." Booth answered. "On the days you have them, if they're in the morning, you'll be given paid medical leave. On the days they're in the afternoon, you'll come in until the time you have to go to them. I'll be taking you." 

"Booth, you don't have to do that." Wendell said immediately. 

"I know I don't _have_ to, I _want_ to." Booth scoffed. "Look, I'd like to think we're friends, and I feel really awful that you're going through this. I want to help in any way I can, I mean that." 

"Not just Booth, we all want to help. On the days he can't take you, anyone who can be spared from the Jeffersonian will be happy to." Dr. Brennan said. "Even Cam, that is, if you'd accept her." 

"Of course." Wendell said immediately. "I have no ill feelings toward Cam, I know she..." He looked down at his hands. "She was just doing her job and it sucked for her as much as it did for me. I...I...don't know how to thank you, any of you, for doing all of this. It...really makes me feel special." He looked up, tears shining in his eyes. "I don't know how to repay you all for this. I mean, geez, first you all pay for my scholarship, and don't think I didn't figure that out, and now this...you must really want me around." 

"Wendell you've always been the intern that worked under me with the most potential and the best work ethic." Dr. Brennan said sincerely, taking his hand, which made Wendell even more emotional and he ducked his head again, a few tears dripping from his eyes. "I couldn't bare not having your input to what we do. Granted, I'd rather it was in person, working alongside me at the Jeffersonian, but if it's this way or nothing, I'll take it. Besides, as soon as you get into remission, you'll have your job back." 

"Yeah, exactly." Booth squeezed his shoulder. "So you want to pay back everyone? You fight, ok? You fight this stupid cancer crap and kick it's ass." 

Wendell laughed, which was what Booth was aiming for and he wiped at his face and nodded. "Ok...ok...I will. I'll do everything I can not to let anyone down." 

"I know you will." Booth clapped him on the back. "Now, you got anything to eat around here, I've got the munchies and I want to at least make sure we get a meal in you. What about brownies?"

Wendell laughed again at that and nudged him. "I have brownies, but I don't think you can have any. I don't know how often you get piss tested at the FBI."

"Aww man, you go for the edibles?" Booth laughed. 

"My old man was a smoker, I can't do joints, they make me feel skeevy." Wendell made a face. "Edibles are the best way." 

"I didn't know you were a baker, Mr. Bray." Dr. Brennan piped up.

Wendell shot her a sheepish look. "I'm not. Not really. What I don't get from the dispensary, I make from a box mix. This nice woman who works there explained how much of my stuff to put in each batch." 

"Nice woman, huh?" Booth nudged him, a big grin on his face. "Want to tell me about this nice woman?" 

"Yeah she's 6'3, has a large mohawk, punk rock makeup that includes dots all over her face. Her name is Dusty and her wife would kill me if I was interested." Wendell cracked.

"Oh." Booth visibly deflated. "Well, whatever, that's ok. Hey what about pizza?" 

"There's a takeout menu by the phone." Wendell gestured to it. "Get half cheese and olives, it's about the only thing I can stomach." 

Booth grabbed the menu and looked it over. "Two pizzas it is, one half meat lovers and what you want, and a small vegetarian for Bones." He looked at Wendell. "We gotta find you a lady, Wendell, I mean, you're a real catch." 

Wendell sputtered and shook his head. "What? You know you're crazy, right? I mean, look at me. What woman would want a guy who's got no hair on any part of his body, and I do mean _any part of his body_ and is sick with cancer?" 

"Dude, two words: sympathy sex." Booth said, picking up the phone. "Chicks will eat that stuff up, you'll be going on so many dates you'll need a planner. Tell him, Bones." 

Wendell turned bright red, although he was laughing.

"Actually, Booth has a point. Women are predisposed to have emotions that are linked to child rearing, so seeing a man..." Dr. Brennan started.

Wendell looked between them, a massive smile on his face, and thought about how lucky he was to be around all of these people and how he never wanted to give any of it up if he could help it.


End file.
